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Daily news - 18th September 2025 |
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UK news
Open call for evidence: Cannabis-based products for medicinal use
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is currently reviewing the impact of the 2018 changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 which included cannabis-based products for medicinal use (CBPMs). CBPMs are cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans, which have not been assessed by the medicines regulator. The review will: consider whether the legislation had the intended impact / identify unintended consequences / make recommendations on how to mitigate unintended consequences. The call is intended for: healthcare professionals / researchers and academics / importers and manufacturers / individuals with lived or living experience / patients and families of patients / regulatory and enforcement bodies | ACMD, UK
IPS for alcohol and drug dependence: data linkage outcomes 2025
A report on the outcomes of the expansion of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for adults in treatment for alcohol and drug dependence in England | DHSC, UK
Stoptober: How to deal with a smoking relapse
Relapses can stir up feelings of guilt and frustration, but what truly matters is how you respond to these moments – not that they happened in the first place | Independent, UK
Residents in Edinburgh to be asked opinions on city centre drugs consumption room with public consultation
Public consultation on plans for a new safe drug consumption room in Edinburgh is set to get underway in early 2026, according to a report for city health bosses | Edinburgh Evening News, UK
PRP (43-06) Evaluating the ban on sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children - funding opportunity
The NIHR Policy Research Programme is planning to launch an open competition to evaluate the upcoming ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children, part of the 10 Year Health Plan’s ‘sickness to prevention’ shift. We are interested in understanding the impact of implementing these changes on children’s consumption patterns, business practices, and enforcement patterns. We will hold a webinar about this planned funding opportunity on 30 September 2025 from 12:30 to 13:30 | NIHR, UK
Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to require that mandatory alcohol labels include a warning about the risk of cancer associated with alcohol consumption | They work for you, UK
Electronic Cigarettes: Public Houses
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 August 2025 to Question 68411 on Electronic Cigarettes: Bus Stops, for what reason he has considered banning vaping inside pubs | They work for you, UK
Drug Seizures: Organised Crime
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Class A drugs have been seized from organised crime in the last 12 months | They work for you, UK
Drug Smuggling
Mr Dickson asked the Minister of Justice, having noted the recent BBC 'Spotlight' programme that highlighted international drug cartels, which are reportedly smuggling drugs through the island of Ireland on to the UK and mainland Europe, to outline the actions that she has taken on that issue | They work for you, UK
Drug Education Forum Autumn 2025
Thurs 16 October. Online. In this event you can hear from our keynote speaker Jane Keyworth, Founder of Face Family Advice, answering the question What can we do for parents and carers? How can professionals best support parents and carers of adolescents in relation to drugs and decisions? What difference does neurodiversity add to the mix? We will also hear from Shannon Robbie from The Loop on life on the frontline of festivals this summer, and from Jane Mackenzie, founder of Share Shrewsbury, speaking with lived experience as the mother of a daughter who died as a result of alcohol addiction | DEF, UK
Lunch & Learn webinar #1: Neurodiversity, young people, drugs and decisions
Mon 10 Nov 2025 12:00 - 13:30 GMT. Online. The first in this series of webinars will explore issues relating to neurodiversity, young people and substance use. Jane Keyworth, Founder of Face Family Advice, will talk about understanding neurodiversity, adolescent brain development and risk, and how to support parents and carers of neurodivergent children. Jodie Lynes, We Are With You Team Leader, will explore how those of us working in an education, treatment or early intervention capacity can adapt our approaches and resources to engage more effectively with neurodivergent young people. Joe Elliott, Founder of Elevate Up will share his lived experience of adolescent substance use, addiction and a late-diagnosis of ADHD | DEF, UK
Hampshire: Take Drugs Seriously
Fri 3 Oct 2025 16:30 - 18:30 BST. Come along to our free event to learn about the impact of drugs in Hampshire and how we can better protect our community. Hear from experts in the field, local families and stakeholders and engage in discussions on how we can address drug-related issues. The local MP and Police and Crime Commissoner will be present. A full list of speakers will be published soon | J Slater, UK
Cornwall Council Introduces Vape Collection Boxes at Recycling Centres
Cornwall Council has issued a clear warning: don’t put vapes in your rubbish or recycling. To tackle the problem, Cornwall Council has introduced vape collection boxes at all of its household waste and recycling centres. As well as using the new collection points, people can also return used vapes to larger shops that sell them | Cornish Stuff, UK
Ketamine worth estimated £17m seized in Merseyside
Ketamine worth millions has been taken off UK streets after officers stopped a van that was found to be filled with sacks of the drug | NCA, UK
How EncroChat hack led police to £48m drug gang
A senior detective said cracking the covert messaging platform EncroChat was pivotal in securing convictions against members of an organised crime group who planned to smuggle £48m worth of cocaine into Europe | BBC, UK
International news
Opioid agonist therapy for opioid use disorder in primary versus specialty care
Surely it’s best to be treated by specialists in a specialist clinic than by your GP? Not according to this authoritative synthesis of research. Instead, the uncertain balance of evidence tends to favour primary care | Cochrane Library, UK
Alcohol-induced deaths in the United States across age, race, gender, geography, and the COVID-19 pandemic
[Open access] We analyze alcohol-induced deaths by race, gender, age and geography on a yearly (1999–2024) and monthly (2018–2024) basis, using data from the National Vital Statistics System. Crude rates for alcohol-induced deaths increased by 89% from 1999 to 2024. The largest relative increase occurred among females aged 25–34, with a 255% increase, and males aged 25–34, with a 188% increase | PLOS Global Public Health, USA
Global study links alcohol to rising cases of lip and oral cavity cancer
Heavy alcohol consumption has sharply increased the global burden of lip and oral cavity cancers over the past three decades, with the steepest rise seen in Southeast Asia and in lower-middle SDI regions, according to a new analysis based on Global Burden of Disease 2021 data provisionally accepted for publication in Frontiers on Sept. 15 | Oral Health, USA
AOD Sector Insights Report
Our sector, like many others within health and community services, collects valuable information. However, this data often sits in silos, is difficult to access and analyse in a timely manner, or flows “upstream” without returning meaningful insights back. VAADABase was created to address this challenge. Since 2023, 17 AOD agencies have partnered with VAADA and Latitude Network to securely share de-identified client data. Together, we have co-designed data dashboards that help organisations understand both their own de-identified data as well as sector-wide trends in a timely manner | VAADA, Australia
New study busts myth alcohol restrictions hurt tourism
The research, led by Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute and published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, has prompted experts to encourage a focus on credible evidence when seeking solutions to health and social problems caused by alcohol in communities. The research challenges a popular perception that alcohol regulation damages tourism | NDRI, Australia
Australian healthcare provider perspectives on managing hepatitis C treatment during pregnancy: Current practices and pathways forward - video
In Australia, women of childbearing age (15-44 years) who inject drugs are 53% less likely to receive treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) than women aged 45 and over. Studies conducted overseas show that direct-acting antivirals are safe and effective when taken in the third trimester of pregnancy, offering a way to mitigate gendered inequities in HCV outcomes. This seminar presents findings from a qualitative study exploring Australian healthcare provider perspectives on treating HCV in pregnancy | NDARC, Australia
Blogs, comment and opinion
Autumn Budget Submission 2025 (PDF)
Raising alcohol duty is identified as one of the most effective and cost-effective policies to tackle the exorbitant health and economic harms associated with alcohol consumption. With alcohol deaths at a record high in the UK and alcohol duty rates having fallen significantly in real terms over the past decade, it is crucial that fiscal levers are utilised to prevent harm and protect public finances | IAS, UK
Don’t Fall for the Spin: What England’s “Missing” Opioid Deaths Really Mean
In the last few days, headlines have been dominated by the revelation that 13,000 opioid deaths were “missed” from England and Wales’ official statistics. Some people are now using this as an excuse to suggest Scotland’s crisis is exaggerated | Annemarie Ward, UK
US adds Colombia to list of countries failing in fight against drugs – here’s why that matters
The US has “decertified” Colombia as an ally in the fight against drugs, adding it to a list of countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar and Venezuela. Behind the decision lie surging coca cultivation and a desire to signal that US support for Colombia is no longer unconditional. It represents a rupture in one of Washington’s longest-standing security partnerships in the region | Conversation, UK
And finally...
Chimps consume equivalent of a beer a day in alcohol from fermented fruit
Study finds chimpanzees’ enthusiasm for guzzling ripe fruit puts their ethanol intake at about 14g per day | Guardian, UK